Fatigued Paul Collingwood admits his body was 'slowly shutting down'

Rest is history: Paul Collingwood is bowled by Brett Lee during the second NatWest Series One Day International match at Lord's

England all-rounder Paul Collingwood has revealed his body felt like
it was 'slowly shutting down' before sitting out the past three one-day
internationals against Australia.

The 33-year-old had not missed a match of England's heavy summer
campaign, which began way back in June with the two-Test series against
West Indies, until he was ordered by England's medical team to rest
after the third ODI at the Rose Bowl.

Collingwood admitted at one point during that match he had felt like
he might not be able to get up after falling in the field as a host of
'niggles' started to take their toll. He is set to return from a 10-day
break for tomorrow's final match of the series at his home ground at
Chester-le-Street and admits he is glad for his brief spell out.

'There were a few niggles that could have got me into a lot of trouble if I continued playing,' he admitted.

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'My
left knee was a concern, as well as the right Achilles and the left
adductor. There were a few areas that were building up all the time.

'There was one point where I fell on the floor in the field at Hampshire where I felt as though I wasn't going to get up. There were areas that were slowly shutting down across my body, so hopefully this week I've been able to get them going again.'

James Anderson was also told to take time out after Southampton, the seamer sat out two games before returning to take four wickets at Trent Bridge on Thursday night, and Collingwood said England could look to rest players more regularly.

Battle weary: Paul Collingwood was told to rest after a heavy summer

'I think in the future there will be more rotations,' he said. 'We haven't really gone down that path in the past; it's something that Australia have done pretty well over the past few years so I think that's an area where they will go down.

'It's making those sensible decisions at the time. I could have continued and fight through it, but there's times when the body is showing signs.

'It was the medical staff's decision, they came up to me and said I was looking jaded. The medical staff that we've got in place now understand the level of commitment that you've got to put out on the park.'

In Collingwood's absence England's woes in the one-day arena have deepened to find themselves on the brink of a record-breaking 7-0 series loss heading into tomorrow's game at Riverside.

And while Collingwood has returned to an England dressing-room low on confidence he believes he can help restore some much-needed belief to not only avoid a whitewash against Australia, but to also lift the team for next week's Champions Trophy in South Africa.

'It is amazing when you go away for a week and you come back and you're energy levels are recharged - hopefully I can come back and filter some of that to the other guys,' he said.

'Like I've said to them (the players) it only takes one performance, we've been in these situations in the past. It just takes one person out of the team to go out there and put that one special performance in, and sometimes, that gives the confidence that's needed to get the ball rolling again.'